Thinking of setting up an online business?? Dave Meier from Hidden Depth gives his advice on what to expect when getting started…
How much for a Website??
This is usually the first question people ask when they contact me about a web design project. This is also usually the most important question people want answered before they decide to go further with a web designer.
In this article my aim is to help people (looking for a website or updating an existing site) to understand what to expect before getting a website designed.
Every website is different.
Some people will require the smallest of websites to be used purely for personal or community use. Whilst others may need a very large website with lots of shiny bells and whistles (such as custom graphic, videos, user interaction) and which can deal with online transactions such as credit card payments and more. The difference in site pricing can range from €500 to €10,000 depending on what is required.
What kind of site do you need ?
The more information you have the more exact a designer can be with a quote for you. A few general things to consider for your site:
■How many pages will the site have roughly
■Tracking how many visitors you get on the site
■Email accounts
■Contact form, map of your location
■Hosting (online storage, your site needs somewhere to store its files)
■A Blog
You don’t have to be exact on what you need in a site. Once you have a general idea a good designer will advise you on what elements will suit your business or site and can also tell you what other similar business normally do. A designer may have huge ideas on a great site with lots of flashy and fancy stuff for you. This may not be something you would even consider. So the more exact you are on what you want the quicker the designer can understand what you need.
A good idea is to give some examples of sites similar to what you would like. You might ask a designer “how much to design a site like www.ThisSite.com.”
What is your Budget ?
A lot of people are reluctant to give an exact figure for their budget when shopping round for a web designer. I am sure a lot of people believe that if you tell a designer their budget he/she will accept the budget price while designing a site of much less value. This is not the case with any professional designer who cares about their reputation or would like repeat work or recommendations from anyone.
For Example :
■A) You contact a web designer for a quote. You say you would like a custom designed website with 10 pages, a blog, analytical tracking of visitors, email accounts, hosting. You have a budget of €1000 but you decide not to tell the designer your budget. He comes back to you with a quote of €1800. You think that is way to high and so you decide to not to use the designer.
■B) You contact the designer stating everything you need and tell him you have a budget of €1000. The designer tells you that this will cost you well over your €1000 budget. He suggests a number of ways to lower the costs. He says you can have a custom designed site and email accounts set up for €1000 and when you have the extra budget in a few months he can easily add in a blog and tracking. He also offers to provide you with free site hosting for the first 6 months to help you get on your feet.
This is the major reason that you should tell a designer your budget. He may have a design idea in his head that may take a lot of time and cost a lot more than you can spend. If the designer knows what you can spend he also knows what he can do to make the most of your money.
What should I expect ?
A few things that will help before you agree to a project:
■The full cost and how payments are made
■Deposit required
■Your project completion date
■Will you receive proofs before completion. How many proofs. Are there extra costs for extra proofs.
■What details are required from you. Email account names, content to be put into website, etc.
■What about updates to the site when completed. Do they offer any sort of maintenance package ?
The more things you agree on at the start the less complicated your design project will be and the smoother everything will go.
To request a quote or arrange a face to face meeting to discuss your design project simply call 01 254 4000 or email info@hiddendepth.ie
